Book 1: The Crown Prince (The Kid Emperor of Occultoria)
Page 9
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One day, when it was recess time, he walked past his locker on the way to the Safe Spot to meet Jessica.
There was a note taped to his locker.
Who would write a note to him?
He stopped and picked it up. It was written in Jessica’s cursive handwriting.
I had to leave before recess because I have a dentist appointment, but I’ll see you tomorrow and we’ll continue our drawing lessons. Keep drawing, Max. You’re really good and you’ll only get better the more you draw. Don’t forget: one day, we’re going to live in Paris and visit the Louvre and go to art school together.
- Jessica
He folded the note carefully and slipped it into his pocket. He was charmed by the note. The note somehow felt precious to him. He didn’t want it to be lost. Maybe it was because Jessica was precious to him now, and therefore, by extension, the note was too.
He had been seeing her every day at recess for the past week so not seeing her that day felt weird to him. He didn’t want to admit it, but he missed her. If only she knew how special she meant to him.
But she’ll know soon, he assured himself. I’ll tell her when I see her tomorrow.
He felt good. He finally felt like a normal boy. He felt like he belonged. What’s more, Learning Assistance had been put off for another few weeks, since the Learning Assistance teacher recently quit and the principal was still searching for a replacement.
So still in a cheerful mood, Max went into the washroom to wash his hands.
He hummed a popular happy tune as he turned the tap on.
What do you do when you’re happy?
So happy you don’t know what to do.
He was halfway through the chorus when he was cut off.
A raspy voice had finished the second half of the chorus for him.
Fly with me to the clouds,
And I’ll be happy with you.
Surprised, Max looked around. He was sure he was the only one in there. He saw no one else. But then, a glint in the window caught his eye.
A dark-green shape was drifting in from the open window. It looked like the ghost he had seen in the vending machine, but this one was three times as large.
Its paws outstretched towards Max, it gnashed its sharp teeth.
Max stared into its coal-like eyes and then had to put a hand over his nose. That mix of rotting garbage and dead skunk stench was stifling the air.
Terror gripped his heart. So he hadn’t imagined it at all. But he knew he had been lying to himself the entire time. After all, there was enough evidence to convince him it had been real - what with the hole in the glass of the vending machine.
“Stay away,” the dark-green shape hissed. “Stay away from Purgatorio.”
Without hesitating, Max turned around and fled.